LITMIR.BIZ

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not the only one.” Lilah decided that it was her state of shock that accounted for her sudden loss of breath at the sight of Tyler.

      Her memory of him hadn’t done him justice. She’d gotten the basic stats right in her mind’s eye—tall, dark-skinned, the same chestnut-brown eyes that Reggie had. But the real beauty lay in the details.

      He was so much taller than she’d remembered. Sure, she was all of five-foot-two herself, but Tyler seemed to loom in the night like a dark tower in a black overcoat. And his skin was dark, but it glowed like burnished wood—clear and smooth.

      And those light-brown eyes were not so much brooding as she’d remembered, but intense. He’d always looked at her as though he could see everything inside her. Like she was emotionally naked before him. It was one of the things that she’d always found so disturbing about him.

      She’d never thought of Tyler as handsome—certainly not compared to Reggie. But her memory had gotten that one wrong, too. He was definitely handsome. Not in the smooth-faced, curly lashed, flash-those-pearly-whites way that Reggie was good-looking.

      Tyler simply had a face that was well put together. A strong jaw with just the hint of stubble, a nose that was pointed without being too sharp, deep-set eyes and thick lips, and his hair rounded into a tight, business-like fade.

      Sexy. The word flashed in her brain and was gone, like a subliminal ad.

      “We gotta get some drinks in you,” Angie said, tugging her arm. “You’re so nervous you’re practically catatonic.”

      “I’d rather have some food. I’m starving.”

      “This place is also a restaurant. I’m sure we can get you something, eventually. The drinks are necessary now. We have to make sure you can actually speak when Reggie gets up here. You’re so stiff, you could be made of cardboard.”

      “We can’t leave. Tyler’s coming back for us.”

      “Fine. You wait here. I’ll hit the bar. You still like appletinis, right?”

      “Yeah, that’s fine.” Lilah’s mind had already wandered off. In a matter of minutes, she was actually going to be talking to Reggie Martin.

      She saw Tyler’s tall, dark form emerge from the crowd. He came to her side, taking her elbow in his hand. Leaning down to her ear, he whispered, “I’m going to take you to bed.”

      Chapter 4

      Lilah felt Tyler’s breath on her ear as he spoke, and his words registered with a jolt. I’m going to take you to bed.

      She jerked back from him, off balance from the unexpected erotic thrill tingling the base of her spine.

      Tyler reached out and steadied her with both hands, preventing her from reeling back into a passing waitress with a tray full of drinks.

      “I’m so sorry,” Tyler said as she pulled herself together. “I should never have said that. I didn’t mean to startle you. I was just trying to be clever. And it was an inappropriate remark.”

      “No, no. It was fine,” she tried to reassure him, feeling foolish for getting so flustered. “I can take a joke.”

      “Why don’t we go sit down?” He looked around. “Where’s your friend?”

      “Angie went to the bar. Will she be able to find us if we get in be—uh, sit down?”

      “I’ll make sure she does,” he assured her.

      He began steering her toward one of the large beds along the far left of the room. A waitress helped them settle in by tucking their shoes in a drawer below and exchanging them for terry-cloth slippers emblazoned with the word Duvet.

      Just as Lilah was awkwardly climbing onto the mattress, Angie arrived with two green apple martinis. Tyler helped Angie juggle the drinks as she took off her boots and joined them on the bed. Lilah and Tyler had checked their coats, but Angie insisted that hers was an integral piece of her ensemble.

      Lilah quickly discovered that it was hard to recline comfortably and keep her cocktail dress from riding up. She finally arranged herself into a suitably modest position, wishing desperately that she’d worn pants.

      “I’m not sure whose idea this was—” Angie started.

      “I know. It’s the worst,” Lilah chimed in.

      “—but, I love it,” Angie finished at the same time.

      “You don’t like it? I think it’s great.” Angie was propped against the row of cream, satin pillows with her long legs stretched out in front of her. Her long jacket draped her legs.

      Tyler looked right at home, too. He was stretched across the bottom of the mattress giving him plenty of room for his legs, as he propped his head on his palm. He would also have a bird’s eye view of Lilah’s underwear if she forgot herself and moved her legs.

      “What brings you ladies to New York?”

      “I live here,” Angie answered. “I design costumes for a playhouse in Greenwich Village, and Lilah’s just visiting for the next two weeks. We’ve got to check off the rest of her list before November 10th.”

      Tyler nodded. “That’s a pretty ambitious task. How many things have you gotten done since you got to New York?”

      Lilah chewed her lip. “I flew in this morning, first-class. That was one. And we crashed this party. That was two.”

      “So what’s this big soiree for, anyway?” Angie asked, sipping her martini, then placing it back on the clear doughnut-shaped tray for drinks in the center of the bed.

      “It’s a corporate launch party for a new men’s cologne called Isosceles.” He pointed toward the center of the room, and Lilah noticed for the first time that there were large pyramid displays of triangular cologne bottles.

      “Since Reggie’s single is called ‘Love Triangle’ his publicist thought this would be a good opportunity for some cross promotion.”

      Lilah’s heart sped up. “Will Reggie be performing tonight?”

      “No. He agreed to make an appearance and sign copies of his single. He convinced a few of his boys to tag along, so I don’t think he’s planning to hang out here long.”

      “Damn, sounds like there aren’t going to be a lot of other big celebrities here then?” Angie asked.

      “No, I’ve seen a few Broadway actors and radio personalities, but for the most part this crowd is media types and corporate investors. It’s safe to say that Reggie is probably the most famous person here.”

      Lilah felt her stomach growl and took a sip of her drink because it was the only thing on the table. “Aren’t they supposed to have food here? Do you think we could get a menu?”

      “The waitress told me that the restaurant is closed. They have some cold hors d’oeuvres and sushi, but I think that’s it.”

      Lilah wrinkled her nose. She wasn’t in the mood for anything cold. She wanted hot food in healthy portions. Forcing herself to relax, she took another sip of her drink. Reggie would be coming around shortly. After she pleaded her case to him, she and Angie could leave and get a real dinner.

      “Are they giving out free samples of that cologne?” Angie wondered out loud. “Those little bottles are cute. I think I’m going to go over there and try to snag one.”

      Angie bounced off the bed and through the crowd, leaving Lilah and Tyler alone. Lilah tilted her glass and drained the last of her apple martini.

      Her head swam a minute as the drink finally began to work on her empty stomach. Great, the last thing she needed was to be plastered by the time Reggie showed up.

      But, on the upside, she was suddenly feeling one hundred percent less anxious than she had been just five minutes earlier. She leveled

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